IPA Webdesk
Protests spread like wildfire, extending to South
At least 250 people have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh over the ‘Agnipath’ protests, which has seen hordes of angry youth, carrying bamboo sticks and stones, storming railway premises across cities and small towns and laying siege to highways. Meanwhile, protests against ‘Agnipath’ left Bihar in flames on Friday...
Navy chief says he did not anticipate violent protests
As the government desperately tries to assuage protestors and list the benefits of the ‘transformational’ new recruitment scheme for armed forces, Aginpath, Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar has backed it and said he didn’t anticipate protests like this. Amid widespread violent protests by Army aspirants, the Navy Chief...
Cong seeks parliamentary panel discussion on Agnipath
Congress MP KC Venugopal on Friday urged Parliament’s Standing Committee on Defence Chairman Jual Oram to convene an urgent meeting of all stakeholders and defence experts to discuss in detail the recently announced Agniveer scheme by the Central government. Noting that violent protests are continuing across the country over...
Shiv Sena to move MLAs to hotel ahead of Council poll
The Shiv Sena has decided to move its MLAs to a luxury hotel at Powai in northeast Mumbai ahead of the Maharashtra Legislative Council polls, a party leader said on Friday, as the ruling coalition spearhead treads a cautious path after being outsmarted by the BJP in the last...
Deve Gowda not in presidential contention, says son
JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Friday clarified his father and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda will not run for President. He said the 89-year-old JD(S) patriarch’s only aim is to see JD(S) forming an independent government in Karnataka, during his lifetime. “Couple of days ago...
Trains set on fire in UP, Bihar as Agnipath stir spreads
Mob set trains on fire in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar this morning as the protests over the new military recruitment policy, Agnipath, entered the third consecutive day today. The government has defended the scheme, calling it “transformative”. Trains were set afire, public and police vehicles attacked in both states...
‘One-time’ change to raise Agnipath age limit to 23
The Centre today raised the age limit for the ‘Agnipath’ military recruitment scheme to 23 from 21 amid nationwide protests against the new model of enrolment of soldiers. The decision has been taken as no recruitment has taken place in the last two years, the government said in a...
People burning buses not fit for armed forces: Ex-Army chief
General VP Malik, the Army chief who led India to victory during the Kargil War, expressed support for the Agnipath scheme today and said the Army is not interested in recruiting hooligans responsible for the violence taking place during the protests against the short-term recruitment plan. Violence was reported...
Manish Tewari backs Agnipath; says younger forces needed
Known to not always toe the party line on contentious issues, senior Congress leader Manish Tewari has backed the Centre’s newly announced Agnipath recruitment process for the armed forces. Even as youngsters aspiring for a career in the army stage protests in many parts of the country, Tewari said...
US condemns Prophet remarks, happy over party response
The United States on Thursday condemned remarks by Indian ruling party officials about the Prophet Mohammed that have sparked an uproar in Muslim countries. “We condemn the offensive comments made by two BJP officials and we were glad to see that the party publicly condemns those comments,” State Department...
Widespread protests over Agnipath scheme for military jobs
A day after the Centre launched Agnipath, a radical recruitment plan for the armed forces, protests have erupted at various parts of the country, with youngsters accusing the government of making a fool of them. Protests broke out in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur and Buxar today, with the protesters asking what...
1-day break in ED quizzing on Rahul’s request
Congress’s Rahul Gandhi walked out of the Enforcement Directorate offices after over nine hours of questioning in the third straight day today in an alleged money laundering case connected to the National Herald newspaper. He will be questioned again on Friday — a day’s exemption he asked for having...
Petition before Supreme Court against UP demolitions
The Supreme Court will hear a petition seeking directions to the Uttar Pradesh government to follow rules while carrying out further demolitions in the state. The petition also sought strict action against officials indulging in unlawful demolition. The petition, filed by Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, was filed in connection...
Takht Jathedar rakes up another row over Sikh vote bank
After facing flak over his recent statement where he asked Sikh youths to arm themselves with licensed weapons, the Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh on Wednesday raked up the issue of the Sikh political prisoners. He claimed that the “fear of losing the non-Sikh vote bank” during elections...
Rajnath speaks to Mamata, Kharge, Akhilesh for consensus
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday spoke to opposition leaders Mamata Banerjee, Mallikarjun Kharge and Akhilesh Yadav to evolve a consensus for the presidential candidate for the elections on July 18. Sources said the senior BJP leader made calls to these leaders, on a day the opposition held a...
Cong to attend Mamata’s opposition meet on president poll
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee is in Delhi for the crucial meeting of non-BJP parties she has called in a bid to forge a consensus for fielding a joint candidate against the NDA in the presidential election which is slated to take place on July 18. Mamata Banerjee recently...
Rahul visits Sonia in hospital ahead of third day quizzing
Ahead of Day 3 of questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Congress leader Rahul Gandhi last night visited his mother and party president Sonia Gandhi at a Delhi hospital after he left the probe agency’s office at around 11.30 pm. Rahul Gandhi accompanied by his sister and Congress general...
Kiran Bedi’s joke on Sikhs lands her in trouble
The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday accused former Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi of hurting the sentiments of Sikhs at a book launch event in Chennai. A controversy erupted after a video of the former Indian Police Service officer purportedly cracking a joke on Sikhs at the launch of her...
